After botched lip injections, Ellen Gonzalez hoped corrective surgery would leave her feeling beautiful once more. But the mum of three was left with lips so deformed she was unable to close her mouth for two years.
She couldn’t smile, food would fall out of her mouth as she ate, and she was forced to drink through a straw.
But after yet more surgery, Ellen, 42, is finally able to live a normal life.
She says, “The last two years have been miserable. My lips were lumpy and I hated going out with my children as I didn’t want to embarrass them.
“I couldn’t eat any of my favourite foods – including ramen and soup – because they’d leak out of my mouth. In total, I’ve spent around £38,000 fixing my face.”
Ellen, who lives with her husband Edward, and her children Anthony, 19, Hailey, 17, and Adrianna, 14, in Connecticut, USA, first had lip fillers in her early twenties. But on a whim, she went to a back-street doctor, who injected her with silicone – now illegal in the UK.
Ellen says, “It was a stupid mistake and I ended up with lips that looked out of proportion to the rest of my face. But they weren’t too bad, so I just learnt to live with them.”
Check out: shocking celeb lip jobs before and after
CLOSER Shocking celeb lip jobs before and after
1 of 46Bobby Norris
It's no secret that TOWIE's Bob enjoys a cosmetic procedure every now and again. He even recently flew off to Turkey for a new nose.
2 of 46Bobby Norris
But it looked like he might have gone a lip filler session too far during TOWIE filming in 2015.
3 of 46Chloe Ferry
Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry is a HUGE fan of cosmetic surgery.
4 of 46Chloe Ferry
We barely recognise her these days, especially with those uber lips.
5 of 46Kylie Jenner
What is a list of celebs with lip fillers if it doesn't include Kylie Jenner, right? Her sister Kim let the cat out of the bag on TV, not that we needed much convincing.
6 of 46Kylie Jenner
But Kim revealed on social media that she 'got rid' of the filler this year.
7 of 46Marnie Simpson
The former Geordie Shore star has always been a fan of lip fillers and cosmetic procedures.
8 of 46Marnie Simpson
There have even been videos of Marnie performing the lip filler procedure at home. Definitely do not try that one at home, people.
9 of 46Chloe Sims
TOWIE's Chloe Sims has had multiple cosmetic procedures, including a nose job and a 3D bum lift.
10 of 46Chloe Sims
And she's a fan of topping us those lips to keep 'em glossy and plump.
11 of 46Louise Thompson
Made In Chelsea fitness guru Louise Thompson has always been a natural beauty.
12 of 46Louise Thompson
But her lips have been looking particularly big 'n' bouncy recently. Hmmm...
13 of 46Katie Champ
Ex on the Beach's Katie Champ has always had a big, sparkling smile.
14 of 46Katie Champ
But she has taken it to the next level with lip fillers. Check out that pout.
15 of 46Megan McKenna
Reality TV star Megan McKenna has grown quite a pout since first appearing on our screens during Britain's Got Talent.
16 of 46Megan McKenna
She likes to share her lip filling sessions on social media, for people who enjoy watching that kinda painful thing...
17 of 46Ricci Guarnaccio
Geordie Shore's Riccihas undergone QUITE the transformation.
18 of 46Ricci Guarnaccio
He's a big fan of pouting and posting selfies, so we're always up to date on his latest procedures.
19 of 46Nathan Henry
Geordie Shore's Nathan Henry has always liked to look after the aesthetic side of things.
20 of 46Nathan Henry
Which includes getting fillers injected to those big old lips.
21 of 46Chrysten Zenoni
Geordie Shore's Chrysten Zenoni has always boasted a plump pair of lips.
22 of 46Chrysten Zenoni
They're looking pretty extreme right now.
23 of 46Ellie Goulding
Singer Ellie Goulding hasn't admitted to having lip fillers.
24 of 46Ellie Goulding
Yet we can't help but notice how fuller they now look. What do you think?
25 of 46Charlotte Crosby
CBB winner Charlotte has reportedly spent over £200,000 on cosmetic surgery, to the point of being almost unrecognisable.
26 of 46Charlotte Crosby
She insists she only gets her lips done once a year. We're not too sure.
27 of 46Michelle Keegan
TV star Michelle Keegan had noticeably thinner lips during her Corrie days.
28 of 46Michelle Keegan
Michelle hasn't confirmed lip fillers, but they're looking pretty plumper.
29 of 46Lauren Goodger
TOWIE star Lauren Goodger is no stranger to nips and tucks, including a £10k Brazilian butt lift.
30 of 46Lauren Goodger
Lauren said she gave up on fillers for a more natural look in 2016. But that's all changed now. Her lips are absolutely massive after regular fillers - they need their own passport.
31 of 46Ferne McCann
TOWIE's Ferne McCann has denied lip filler accusations.
32 of 46Ferne McCann
But they DO look significantly fatter than a few years ago, right?
33 of 46Stephanie Davis
Fresh faced Stephanie Davis was a stranger to surgery in her early Hollyoaks days.
34 of 46Stephanie Davis
But the star has been open about Botox fillers since becoming a mum, including injecting her lips.
35 of 46Harry Derbridge
Harry was one of the original Towie cast members and we have very fond memories of his time on the show - other than the allegedly cheating on Bobby Norris bit.
36 of 46Harry Derbridge
Harry now works as a make up artist and his lips look remarkably juicy.
37 of 46Rosie Williams
Way back in 2016, Rosie Williams was "legally brunette" and had a striking but natural looking pout.
38 of 46Rosie Williams
When she walked into the Love Island villa in 2018 our eyes were drawn to her lips. Is it just us, or do they look like they've had a little help? Hmm...
39 of 46Laura Anderson
The Love Islander was known for her natural beauty in the villa, although she did admit to having a boob job.
40 of 46Laura Anderson
On leaving the villa, Laura underwent a series of 'mild' cosmetic procedures, including her lips.
41 of 46Jeremy McConnell
Jeremy McConnell is the Irish model who embarked on a turbulent relationship with Stephanie Davies in the CBB house and went on to have a baby with her (despite denying it was his...).
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42 of 46Jeremy McConnell
He unveiled a SERIOUS lip job on social media and apparently commented: "I'm very happy. I'm the happiest I've ever been."
43 of 46Olivia Attwood
Love Island's Olivia Attwood is a lip filler veteran, forking out on treatment long before she made her way into the public eye.
44 of 46Olivia Attwood
After going to her consultant to get some dodgy under eye filler removed, she was convinced to dissolve her top lip filler after admitting she 'took it too far', and opted for a more natural look instead.
45 of 46Amanda Holden
Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has been open and honest about having botox over the years.
46 of 46Amanda Holden
However she's denied having lip fillers and has insisted: "I'd never have my lips plumped, that's the one thing I wouldn't have done."
Then, in 2016, Ellen had a medical procedure on her nose to help with breathing difficulties she’d had since childhood. She explains, “When I woke up, my nose looked strange – it was so pointy! So, I asked for corrective surgery.
“The surgeon agreed, and I also asked if he could correct the lip fillers I’d had back in my twenties – I wanted to have the silicone removed to make them look smaller and more natural.”
But once again, Ellen was unhappy as she felt her lips looked uneven. So she decided to go ahead with yet another corrective procedure in 2018. Ellen says, “I really hoped this would be the last operation.
But it gave me the worst results so far. My lips were lumpy and when I smiled, they only met slightly in the middle. I was horrified that I couldn’t close my mouth!
“Edward would try to reassure me that they weren’t that bad. In pictures, I would suck my lips together, but in real life, I looked ridiculous.
“Eating and drinking was awful. Food fell out of my mouth, and I could only drink with a straw. I had to eat with a towel under my chin, like a child. If I tried to enjoy a glass of wine, I’d end up with it all over me.”
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Ellen was left with her botched lips for almost two years, but last month she went under the knife again – and now she is finally happy with the results. She says, “People might think I’m mad for having yet more surgery, but I’m finally happy with how I look.
“I’ve spent nearly £40,000, but thankfully Edward and I are good at budgeting.
“I want to share my story to save other women the trauma I’ve experienced. It’s so important to do your research before undergoing cosmetic work.
“Now, as I raise my children, I want to make sure they’re confident in how they look.”